CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES HEAD OF YUGOSLAV OFFICE

ZAGREB, April 15 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Nikica Valentic on Friday received head of the Yugoslav Office Veljko Knezevic, who delivered a letter of introduction from Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic. Valentic stressed that all problems in former Yugoslavia could be solved through negotiations, and added that a negotiated settlement was to the interest of both Croatia and Yugoslavia. He went on to say that Croatia would never agree to ceding any part of its territory. Knezevic expressed hope that Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic and his Yugoslav counterpart Zeljko Simic would meet soon. Valentic emphasized that certain preconditions would have to be met first, one of which could be the reopening of the Zagreb- Belgrade motorway. He asked Knezevic to use his influence through the Yugoslav government with the Serbs in Knin to continue talks with Croatian government representatives. The Croatian prime minister reiterated a firm view that negotiations could be held only in the territory of the Republic of Croatia. Knezevic relayed his government's stance that Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) had no territorial claims on any part of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 151714 MET apr 94